Dothan Progress

It’s often difficult to gauge how successful an event will be. Organizers of Thursday’s Chick-fil-A Back to School Family Fun Day and Fashion Event were definitely pleased with the response to their inaugural event. It drew a good blend of vendors with more than 1,700 visitors.

A family-oriented, activity-filled program geared toward preparing students and their parents for the start of a new school year will be held today in the Dothan Civic Center.

Chick-fil-A and the Dothan Eagle have partnered with other community businesses and the city and county school systems to present the inaugural “Back to School Family Fun Day and Fashion Event.” The three-hour event, which is free to public, kicks off at 5 p.m.

He throws one punch - structure. He lands another one - discipline. He finishes with another - accountability.

The Rev. Joseph Spears, pastor of St. Peter A.M.E. Church of Headland, intends to use these three goals - structure, discipline, accountability - as the foundation for a new program. Its intent is to steer low-wealth/at-risk youth in Henry County away from the negative influences that target them daily. They form the foundation for the MVP Program - Men of Valor and Purpose

His life’s work has brought him full circle.

As teenager, Walker Epps knew that God was calling him into ministry. That was in 1966, when he was a junior at Headland High School.

Now, 42 years later, Epps has returned to his Wiregrass roots. But he is not filling a pulpit. He is the new superintendent of the Dothan District of the Alabama-West Florida Conference.

Are you disabled and in need of help? Have you lost your job and have no funds to pay your light bill? There’s help available. The United Way is providing a new service to help you. It’s called 2-1-1.

What do you get when you combine food, fun, musical entertainment, fireworks and vintage automobiles? The members of the Kiwanis Club of Dothan call that combination the Family Fourth Celebration. This will mark the second year that the local civic club will present a day-long outing for families to celebrate the birth of the United States of America.

They have worked on the railroad for most of their adult lives. And, when the 24 retirees (and their spouses) met for the semi-annual meeting of the “Coast Line Group” at the Ashford Depot last Wednesday, there were plenty of stories to tell and a lot of catching up to do.

Photographs can tell fascinating stories. The right photographs paint a community’s history. And it is those photographs that tell the story of Dothan’s early years that Stephanie Madden, Special Events coordinator for the Dothan Eagle, is seeking. They will be included in a new pictorial publication, “Dothan: Our People. Our Story.”

For the final nine weeks of their time at Ashford Elementary School, every sixth-grade student took part in a special program presented by SpectraCare.
Funded through a mini-grant provided by the Alabama Department of Public Health, Sarah Cunningham of SpectraCare brought the Life Skills Program to students at Ashford Elementary and Abbeville Elementary schools this spring. Classes were held twice a week at each school.

Kings. Queens. Knights. Castles (Rooks). Pawns. Students. Academics. Sports.
The pieces may not seem to fit, but they do.
Students in Dothan’s elementary schools are proving they fit as they work to master the game of chess.

Henry County Health and Rehabilitation Center recently celebrated National Nursing Home Week. Many of the week’s events centered around a nostalgic look at the past. The event also marked the first time the Abbeville-based facility hosted a health fair. Sixteen vendors took part in the health fair.

Sue Sellers will wrap up a 37-year career as an educator at the close of the current school year. On May 15 she directed her final production for the LinC (Learning in Collaboration) Drama Program. She believes her profession is a calling.

The city of Headland recently received $67,000 through the Alabama Management Agency’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan. The city’s matching part is $16,525.

He loves to run. His passion for the game of baseball is surpassed only by the joy he gets from riding his bicycle. And he rides his bicycle rather quickly - popping a wheelie to punctuate his ride. And, in July, this active youngster will put his skills to the test - in an Olympic-style competition.

The city of Headland and the Headland Chamber of Commerce are preparing for the 14th annual Daylily Festival. The Daylily Festival is scheduled for Saturday, June 7, around the town square.

The Wiregrass Children’s Home provides a safe haven for children who have been abandoned, neglected or abused. The facility, and those like it, wouldn’t be needed if this was a perfect world. But, says Mike Huckabee, the world is far from perfect, and facilities like the WCH are needed.